A Strange Beginning - Sokka x OC

Chapter 1: The Boy in the Iceberg

So, here is the first chapter. I'm doing a kind of P.O.V type beat with this story, because I think it'll make the story so much more interesting. Just a heads up when you see different character names in bold. This chapter is mostly a filler, to get to know some of Safiyah's trauma, and her as a person, so it might be long. But you will only know some. You will find out the rest later. I'm pretty sure my best friend is the only one reading, but if not, enjoy.   :) 

Safiyah

I slowly come to my senses as I open my eyes to the morning sunlight pouring through the tent flap. I rub my eyes as an attempt to wake myself up and stretch as I'm getting up from my bed. 

I find that I am the last one to wake up. Sokka's, Katara's, and Kanna's beds are all empty. Sokka's bed is messy, while Katara's and Kanna's are neatly made. All our beds are lined up on the long side of tent in a horizontal line. Although, I wouldn't necessarily call them beds, more like multiple blankets stacked up on one another as a makeshift mattress and then a pillow with a wool blanket. Either way still comfortable. 

I walk to the the end of the tent towards the washbowl and the small mirror. I find that the washbowl is full. Kanna must've filled it up for me as a favor, so I wouldn't have to walk out in the cold. Sokka and Katara surely wouldn't have cared. I quickly wash my face to erase any traces of sleep and swish some water in my mouth. After spitting out the water, I go back to my bedside box to grab my chewing stick for brushing my teeth.

 Along with my stick, this gives me an excuse to sit on my bed and look at the one picture I have of my family. My mother, my father, my two sisters, Suki and Amaro, and me. My father stands proud, with his smirk and his brooding eyes, which I'm sure scored him a lot of ladies in his youth. My mom is next to him, and although she has a small smile on her face, her eyes express tire and sadness. My sisters and I are right in the middle of the picture, with my mom's hand on Suki's shoulder, Amara in the middle, and me on the right, with my father's clutch on my left shoulder. My sisters and I all wear the same expression as our mother, showing we are bored, knowing that this picture will only show a lie. And it's true. If you were any outsider, you can clearly see that this is just some ordinary happy family, living in the Fire Nation, with a respected Fire Nation Admiral. But that's far from true.

 I, myself, didn't realize the truth until later on. 

Sokka walks in through the flap, interrupting my thoughts. I'm closest to the tent flap so I easily look up at him from my door. He has his hair in his usual warrior's wolf tail (personally, I think it's just a ponytail, but he already hates me, so I do him the favor of saying the correct name), and he has his warmest coat, the navy one with the white wool lining. He has his hand on the tent flap, and he seems as if he was waiting for me to look up, so that he was forced to talk to me. 

"Good morning, Sokka. I hope you slept well," I say, in a neutral tone, but secretly expectant, hopeful he'll ask the same.

"Uh, look, Kanna is asking you to come with me and Katara to fish, so when you are done, just come meet us outside," he says the words in a monotone, and completely ignores my greeting. 

I don't know why I still greet him the same every morning. I think he prefers it if he was able to find a way to ignore me completely, and if I would do the same. To be honest, I don't blame him. 

"Ok, great, I'll just finish getting ready and I'll meet you guys outside near the boat," I reply.

He looks at me in a stiff expression for a couple seconds in silence and turns away to walk out of the tent. 

I look down to my family picture, and I look at my father holding my shoulder, and it's as if I can feel his hard grip. I rub my left shoulder in distaste of the memory. I put the picture back in my box, go brush my teeth with my chewing stick, put on my coat and boots, put my hair up in a ponytail, grab my sword, and I walk out the tent flap. I stand in front of the flap for a few seconds, deciding on what to do.